0:02

Playing games with strangers is part of Culture Box.

0:05

Whether you enjoy geeky reviews, comedy, or original fiction,

0:09

you can open up the culture box and find something excellent for your soul.

0:12

Simply go to Culture box.media. And you could find shows like Geek Devotions,

0:17

who is also a part of Culture Box,

0:20

their collaboration of devoted geeks that are devoted to letting people know

0:24

that they're loved. They produce a weekly geek culture infused devotional,

0:29

their podcast, calm Talk, and written articles,

0:32

all designed to encourage and challenge people in the geek community,

0:35

bridging the gap between their faith and their geek noms.

0:38

Find all their [email protected]. Also,

0:43

this episode was recorded during Geek Devotions 5 0 1 c three livestream

0:47

event. So it all ties together. Alright, uh, we are foregoing the Patreon. So yeah,

0:56

that just leaves that, that's just you Josiah.

1:00

Me. You, me? Yeah.

1:04

Let's play that theme song. Dave. Dave, you gotta push it, right?

1:16

I, I am pushing it. Push it real good. Oh no. Let's,

1:21

do you have more salt and pepper? Let's, let's, let's play that theme song,

1:25

dude. <laugh>.

1:30

Hey guys, we're gonna do a new acapella version of our theme song for you.

1:35

Live tonight. Okay? This is a brand new thing. So Josiah's doing.

1:38

It all by himself. Yes. Playing games, strangers.

1:44

I don't even know all the words. Theme.

1:53

Stranger Strangers. Yeah, that's it.

1:56

I have one job. Hi. I have notes.

2:01

Oh. It's a very small amount of notes. Welcome to recap with Callum. Alright.

2:06

It's been a hot minute since I've played, so let's get back into it.

2:11

We had a super riveting boss fight. Oh, wait a minute.

2:16

I wrote that wrong. Uh, we had a boss fight and we learned once again that d and d mechanics are

2:21

stupid. Why you gotta call me out like that?

2:24

Just, and no one calling out. Calling out d and d <laugh>.

2:28

Yes, she was. She's going straight for D d's throat.

2:31

Yeah. D and d combat is dumb.

2:34

It inspired many conversations with all of my DMM friends about how much d and

2:39

d combat is the worst combat system ever to be created,

2:42

aside from actual human combat. <Laugh>. Nice.

2:45

Anyway, so we're a close second. Woo.

2:48

Yeah. Pretty close. Uh, anyway, it's over quickly.

2:52

We had a lovely little catch up and in not like ketchup. We didn't eat ketchup.

2:56

We had like a ketchup session with one another. We, like, they.

2:59

Were making ketchup. <Laugh>. We just, you know, showed up, had a little conversation. It was good.

3:04

We had an info dump session, and then we started making plans for the future.

3:09

I don't know what we determined. I couldn't tell you. You write that down.

3:13

Did down, did you say, did you say. Puns for the future or plans for the future?

3:17

I'm pretty sure I heard puns. Puns. I heard puns. Honestly. Yeah.

3:20

I think puns might be more accurate to Why. Not both?

3:23

Yeah, true puns. Okay. When puns,

3:28

we found out Eileen's parents are alive and they're actually the bakers we met.

3:32

They just look different. Things are odd. They just needed to be reminded.

3:37

A nice little jostle. They needed to shake 'em awake, get punched in the face,

3:41

not them. Me. Uh, Ailene used the YouTube. We found them.

3:45

They were at Lenny's. Uh, we arrived stealthily and then immediately stopped being stealthy,

3:53

uh, and made a lot of social faux PAs. Uh,

3:57

I got very close to her mother and her father.

4:00

And now everyone's, I won't say happy, but they know who they are.

4:09

There you go. That's what happened. We come to back into the story.

4:13

I come to, 'cause I got punched in the face. Okay.

4:16

This is gonna be a goofy night, everybody. I'm just putting it out there because.

4:19

They're not all goofy nights when we play. This is exceptionally goofy, is it?

4:24

No, that's fair. I don't know, Wes. Everybody's here. Last session was pretty exceptionally goofy. Last session was pretty, I don't.

4:31

Last session was as broken as the Bethesda game is all I'm saying.

4:34

Fair. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in a session. <laugh>.

4:38

It was so much fun. We,

4:40

we joined the scene where there is a pile of semi-conscious bodies laying on

4:45

top of Callum. And Ameren has a semi horrified heading

4:52

for the door, sort of. Looking slowly backing out. She's just, didn't we already leave? Yeah,

4:58

I actually, I think we might've, we might, we both left. We we're gone. Hey,

5:02

do you wanna get out of here? I know I don't like you, but I like you more than them right now.

5:08

Did you guys leave? I don't, I don't remember. Yeah. Yeah, I think they did.

5:11

Okay, so. No, thank you.

5:14

Well, where I, I guess I need to know where the two,

5:16

where the two of you are going at night with the impending swarm of undead

5:21

bug bears set to descend upon the city. Again.

5:24

Dummies, we're just out where that one street light is.

5:27

That flickers a little bit just standing there. <laugh>. <laugh>.

5:35

So you guys are hanging out in Eight Mile and, uh.

5:40

Where, where Lenny's is close to home, right?

5:44

Uh, yes. Well. I think at home, home.

5:47

Lenny's. But you guys, you guys were evicted away from home, remember? Yeah.

5:51

But I feel like most people of the city were evicted. So.

5:54

I mean. Slim Pickens, um, and by Slim Pickens,

5:57

I mean the world's my oyster right now. If it's standing, it's mine.

6:02

<Laugh>. That's one way to look at. It. Okay, so you guys are heading towards, uh,

6:08

EM'S hou previous home. Uh, meanwhile in Lenny's,

6:13

the remaining five of you

6:18

<laugh>. Um, what do you guys, what are you guys doing in the, uh,

6:22

as this elephant human combo are starting to come to

6:27

with the realization that they've gone through something awful?

6:30

Hi. Hello. It's, uh, Callum. Don't think we've met. Actually,

6:34

we have briefly. Aha pu Yes. Uh, I don't mean to be of an imposition.

6:39

Uh, if you could just potentially your elbows in my ribs just

6:44

real in there. Uh,

6:47

and hopefully now we're done with the hitting and we could get onto

6:52

the, you know, talking about life where you've been.

6:56

How's your soul doing? How's your walk going? Uh.

7:00

Here's your daughter. There's Yeah, there's Eileen. There's your daughter.

7:04

Oh, no, I've already, I've I'm on top of you with them. Oh, that's right.

7:08

Just holding them. I don't, yes. I don't mean to, I don't listen.

7:12

I'm small. I know. I don't look it, I'm pretty tall, but like,

7:15

I have been dead for a long time. Uh,

7:18

have not really gotten back to the bulking phase of my life. So.

7:22

That makes sense. Yes. Oh, um, I'm so sorry, dear.

7:27

Let's, let's let Poor Callum up.

7:31

Thank you. Uh, a and, uh, a as, uh, Aileen's mom is starting to get up.

7:36

She does that maneuver where she tries to get support on her elbow,

7:40

which is jammed in your ribs. <laugh>.

7:43

It's fine. It's good. It's all good.

7:50

That she puts her hand on your face. <laugh>.

7:53

Now. That the husband already did that. She looks at you, Aileen, and she's like, I don't,

8:01

I don't remember what happened.

8:05

Um, what? I'm not entirely sure either.

8:10

Why am I in this body? Um, you were kind of recycle.

8:19

Recite you recited. That seems like an interesting word. Repurposed, maybe.

8:24

Refurbished. So, yeah. The way refurbished might be a good one.

8:29

The way that it was explained to me is that you were.

8:33

H G T VD. Move that bus <laugh>. No, no, no.

8:41

The the way it was explained to me is that you,

8:48

your souls had been removed from your bodies and you had been relate

8:53

released. Uh, erased, erased,

8:58

erased is the word I'm looking for. You had been erased from the time stream and.

9:04

Oh, that's why they were different races. No. Yeah, that's my sense, you know, erased.

9:11

I'm following you yet. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I hadn't, you know, I didn't get it until then, but yeah, that makes.

9:16

Sense. And, and your souls will put, I'm just ignoring them. Focus on me.

9:20

Your souls will put into soul stones,

9:24

but because of some things going on in, in hell, um,

9:30

they needed to get you out so they put you in other bodies.

9:37

But they welcome, they needed to get us out.

9:41

Well, there was something there who was hungry for soul stones.

9:47

Yep. Turns out they're a hot commodity.

9:51

Apparently. So at least you know that you are loved.

9:55

And I, I was in favor of turning the soul stones into earrings,

10:00

but apparently that is too big. Would've been a nice necklace. You.

10:03

Wanted to wear us as earrings. I mean, at least I could have kept you close until I could have found you body.

10:10

See, you know, hard to steal someone's earrings off their head.

10:13

Where are our bodies? I don't, I dunno.

10:18

Whose bodies are these that were in them? You know.

10:22

I think they're yours now. Yeah. You're not kind of like, like a horse cycler things.

10:26

Yeah. If you, if you like turn 'em inside out and you can see what the tag says,

10:32

if there's any initials or something else. I.

10:35

Don't think that's how that works. Yeah. Yeah. It's more like, I think that, um, your previous bodies, uh,

10:42

I don't know how to break this to you nicely. So I have found generally in my life that if you just say it's straight,

10:47

it's better you died, uh, and then your stroll was taken from that body.

10:52

So those bodies are dead now. And probably, you know,

10:55

like doing what bodies do when they die, don't.

10:57

Want them anymore, you. Know? Yeah. They wouldn't be lovely. Uh,

11:01

and then whoever's bodies you were in no longer had souls,

11:04

so were probably more recently deceased and you were just shunted in

11:09

there. And now. Repossessed.

11:12

Yeah. Repossessed. Oh, that's. Good. Oh yeah, that's good. Oh, no.

11:17

<Laugh>. Um, I,

11:21

I can't tell you how alarming it is to, um,

11:27

to be wearing somebody else's skin.

11:30

You, you. I mean, you can tell us if you like.

11:34

I can, I can believe it. <Laugh>. You wanna know what's even more alarming?

11:41

You used fake vanilla. Oh,

11:46

was I not supposed to say that? You know. Sometimes.

11:48

You see, you see Aileen's mom just face look horrified.

11:52

Oh, she passes out, you know, sometimes this cupcake,

11:56

she does the best way to feel better about something is to feel worse about

11:59

something else. So I think that's what's a good strategy.

12:02

She, she, she, she looks at poo and she goes, that's disgusting.

12:07

I know. Do you know what that's made out of? I, I take a cupcake and I slowly bring it towards my mouth and I take a bite.

12:15

No one knows what, no one know. It's a secret.

12:18

All the sugar bakers are like freaking out right now. <laugh>.

12:24

Alene alien's dad just dry heaves a little bit.

12:29

It's not, I mean, it's, it's fake, but I mean,

12:31

it's not like it's from a beaver something.

12:37

He, he, he leans over to you, poo and whispers in your ear,

12:40

and he tells you where fake vanilla comes from.

12:43

Oh no, I'll be right back.

12:47

<Laugh>. And I.

12:51

What, what'd he say? Poo. Hey, hey, P what'd he say? Wait, hold on. <laugh>.

12:58

Your son is from a beaver. Uh, in the meantime, uh,

13:05

Mera and the other one. Emin.

13:10

<laugh> the spare. That's.

13:12

Callum's job. Okay. <laugh>. Uh, Meira and Emin, uh,

13:18

you guys come up to this semi destroyed

13:24

house question mark. Uh,

13:27

that is in the spot where Ameren's former

13:32

house question mark used to be. I mean, it was a, it was a house. It was a tiny house.

13:40

Um, can I help you? Probably not.

13:51

Is there I'm not now. Mm.

13:59

Please don't take this the wrong way. It is not out of kindness. I'm about to ask this,

14:09

but perhaps just general decency. Would you like to come inside?

14:16

Sure. Okay. I don't know what I have to offer,

14:20

but I assume that potentially hot water can be provided and that might be about

14:24

it. Um, as that tended to be about it that I had when I lived here. However,

14:33

whatever is happening here right now, I would like to be clear that in the morning it will end.

14:37

And I would like you to leave my home. No hot water is necessary.

14:43

And you don't have to speak to me if you don't want to.

14:47

I don't necessarily want to, but I also

14:51

don't think it will exasperate the current situation. So, you know,

14:58

whatever. I don't know. I imagine that I You are from tower fall?

15:04

Yes, sort of, but not really. Sort of.

15:07

What do you mean? Sort of? I've been a lot of places.

15:12

So then no. I suppose I've spent the most time in TowerFall.

15:18

But are you from TowerFall? I believe. Are you from TowerFall or are you from somewhere else?

15:22

And you just came here and you've spent time here? I don't know where I'm from.

15:28

You know, sometimes we just don't remember our past and that's okay. Um, right.

15:33

I see. And so you just have lived here now

15:38

killing young people for fun for a while.

15:42

No, I do it out of necessity. Such as.

15:50

Well, you have the Thieves Guild leader as your friend.

15:55

That is a generous term, I suppose. They steal and plunder and you don't know what else they do

16:04

in order to survive. I have a pretty good idea of what they do.

16:09

Yes. That's also what I do to survive.

16:18

I don't, once again,

16:20

I'm not entirely sure how to make this clear as to say that I am not saying this

16:27

as a way of forming connection or kinship of any variety.

16:31

But I understand having to do what you need to survive as I have also been there

16:36

in time. I just would like to make it abundantly clear that you did it to the wrong

16:41

person in this instance. So I get it.

16:46

Well, I don't expect your forgiveness. Good.

16:52

But I didn't do it out of any spite or thrill either.

16:56

I understand. I have done many similar things, not out of spite or thrill.

17:03

Good. And we've got an understanding. Yes. Would you like hot water now?

17:10

Sure. Okay. <Laugh>.

17:16

It'll make us some hot water. Hmm.

17:18

That, that delicious TowerFall hot water that everybody is so

17:24

fond of. Hmm. Fond of.

17:28

Uh, as you're rummaging around, uh,

17:30

go ahead and roll an investigation check for me please.

17:34

For. Water. Let's see what dice I pull out first.

17:44

Or rather, not an investigation, a perception check.

17:51

Oh, I bet I don't need my character sheet open.

17:54

Uh, oh, two. Well, that's close.

18:00

Investigation. Oh yeah. A zero. So three.

18:05

Oh, nevermind. You, you have that good, good hot water.

18:11

Right? <laugh>? I'm sure this is healthy.

18:14

Great. It looks. Like water. And the Constitution save is <laugh>.

18:21

It came, it came out of the, it came out of the, uh, spigot. Uh,

18:25

little off brown. But you know, it's, you.

18:29

Know. Just like when I was growing up. Hmm. For, for tap water that is being provided during the apocalypse. It's,

18:36

it's not, it's not. This is why I offered hot water so that I could boil out whatever's in it.

18:42

<laugh>. That's, that's very smart. Uh, yeah. So.

18:46

Here for you. Cold. <Laugh>. Oh, no. <laugh>.

18:50

Oh, that's, that's cold. Indeed. Uh, I will,

18:55

I will boil it in order to hopefully sanitize whatever might be in there.

18:59

<laugh>. So, yeah. Uh, you partake in some hot water. Meanwhile, back at Lenny's,

19:05

um, what do you guys doing? What's going on?

19:10

I am just sitting with my parents touching a, both of them

19:17

kind of doing the whole, like,

19:20

grabbing onto them anytime they, they try to move away.

19:26

Okay. So Aileen is damaged. Um, <laugh>.

19:30

Hey Paul, didn't. You say that in the last session? That Arlan and, uh,

19:36

what's a face? Was he. That's right. Arlan and Tilda are there.

19:40

Wow. Oh yeah. What a gem.

19:45

Real quick, real quick, Aileen, just so I have this,

19:49

what side of the family is Tilda from.

19:52

Both. That's, I have,

19:55

that's making some character decisions for Aile that I don't think is fair.

20:03

Tilda. Is.

20:07

The bottom. I think I had her as Tilda Sugar Baker on the Pinterest board,

20:13

but I could be wrong. Well. She could have married into that.

20:17

She could have That's true. Killed her husband.

20:20

So she adopted Oh, just.

20:23

Kidding. Adopted Aileen's dad. So she's not actually your.

20:28

She's a great dad. She's. Not actually blood. Tilda petulant is what her name is.

20:38

Forgot about that <laugh>. That's. Fitting.

20:43

Yeah. So Tilda looks at Aileen's dad. She goes, well,

20:46

I thought I brought you up better to have than to be co consult

20:51

with the folks that, uh, practice the dark arts. But, uh, you know,

20:56

I guess that's, that's none of my business. How you choose to raise your child and live your life.

21:04

Anyway, Aileen, it is good to see you again. How have you been doing.

21:10

Aileen's going to ignore her and just like,

21:14

continue to hang on to her parents. Just still to know that those are her family. <laugh>.

21:19

She was here for the Explan explanation.

21:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rude lady. Callum knows God, you better knock it off. Have.

21:29

I don't know that he wants to fight her. Have. A cupcake.

21:32

And, and Poo holds that cupcake for.

21:36

Uh, no thank you. I was here for the disgusting revelation that they've been using artificial

21:41

vanilla. And quite frankly, I'm just shocked at the amount of degradation that's happening within,

21:47

within this family. I swear I raised you a guy. You all better.

21:53

Hello? <inaudible> missed you.

21:59

Well, uh, I, I'm just gonna, I, um, I, how's, how's it,

22:03

how's it going in this corner over here?

22:06

And honestly, Aileen, you're consorting with drought now. That's just foul.

22:11

Second. No's gonna cast feeble mind.

22:13

Can't, can we say house her? Can.

22:17

We, because I, that was rude and I said some rude things in my life,

22:20

but that was rude. Uh, what's the defense for feeble mind?

22:27

None. Smarts.

22:30

None. <Laugh>. Int intelligence saving. Throw. Let's.

22:34

See. Js was right. <laugh>. He was surprisingly, um, <laugh>.

22:41

It was jss. Not we. All, we all make the right guess sometimes, you know,

22:48

I'm gonna go join Wilder and Poo in the corner. Uh, so yeah, she rolled a seven on the intelligence check.

22:54

So I'm assuming that's not good enough to be.

22:57

No. No. Probably. So.

23:00

Probably as, as you, as you lay this feeble mind on her, she's just going, duh.

23:06

Ooh. So that much different then. Yeah. Nice. Oh, snap.

23:11

And then Arlan Arlen's like, thank you.

23:14

You're welcome. Here, come here, come sit beside me.

23:17

We can both fit in the laps 'cause they're so big and whistle little. Oh.

23:20

Here I come. Oh, you wouldn't, you wouldn't look. Sorry, I'm coming through.

23:24

I'll just hang out. What's wilder over here? I don't think there's enough poo. Your, your rather lodge bug bath. Yes.

23:30

And I'm, and to be fat. I'm not getting hub. So <laugh>.

23:33

Oh, that makes sense. Hey, po uh, and Wilder. Hi. Hello. Hi. Quick question. Yes.

23:40

You know, because I feel like we were coming originally our plan was to like go to hell,

23:44

right? Right. Is that what we were planning on doing? I kind of forgot.

23:47

Yes, it was. Yes. So what now? Like, are we gonna go back to water deep? We find things out.

23:52

We've. Got, we've got the parents back. So check that off the list. Yeah. Right.

23:56

As I would, I, I'd really like, I feel like I need to find a place that has like,

24:00

books that might be good for researching some

24:05

arcane and or religious things in order to make the next

24:09

steps. So. Yes.

24:12

Do you think that the tower would have anything like that?

24:15

Oh, well, maybe. I don't know.

24:18

Mostly I just saw a lot of blood there, but I could be wrong.

24:23

Yes, yes. Oh, sorry, I zoned out there for a second. Um.

24:27

No, that's fine. Uh, yeah, I suppose I could check the tower.

24:32

That'd probably be a good place to start. I don't know much about Tower Fall.

24:36

Does anyone? I've. Not been here long. I'm.

24:38

Gonna ask Elaine's parents, do you have any books?

24:44

Magic books History, love.

24:47

Religious history. Books. Religious books.

24:50

Yeah. Uh, alien's. Dad goes, um, we have some

24:57

magical baking cookbooks.

25:00

I'll take two. Well, I don't think I need those, but they're.

25:04

Not for sale. Would those help defeat a great evil? Please Say Yes.

25:11

Do you, do you consider hunger to be a great evil?

25:14

One of the greatest. The greatest, yes. Yeah. Need.

25:17

Then I would say it, it does accomplish that. Then.

25:21

I, I think we've, I think we've we're onto something here, Kevin.

25:24

Right. You know, I could be convinced that this might actually be the solution.

25:31

Kerick is just very hungry for a.

25:33

He has eaten, eaten, you know, cake. I.

25:36

He hasn't been eaten a lot of things. Cake. So I think we could be onto something.

25:41

You know, I'm not entirely sure that that's as much as I believe that a good cookie

25:46

can help. I, I don't know if that's. Actually gonna be, it's just got to be a really big cookie. We.

25:51

Could give him diabetes. Yeah. It'd be, that's it. Giant magic cookie.

25:57

And then not give him his insulin. Yeah.

25:59

Right, right. Skip that. We've got a game plan. Just.

26:03

Get him with the insulin first. I mean, to be.

26:05

Oh, that's fair. That's fair. We suppose that's quick array to it. Huh? The.

26:10

The, the whole disappears real quick so they don't even know who did it.

26:16

I was gonna say something and then I forgot. Because things, books, yes. Books.

26:20

Magic books. Yeah. Specifically. Um.

26:24

And or religious. Both would be great. Honestly,

26:28

I could use either of those books. On hell, books on tape. Um, I don't.

26:33

Know that books on tape would help. That's that.

26:36

That seems like a very specific topic.

26:39

I believe you're underestimating how good tape can solve problems. I mean,

26:44

right. There's a tape that's made by ducks that is super strong. Yeah,

26:49

I've seen that. Yeah. Yeah. It's my favorite. Mm.

26:52

Maybe also just because I really like ducks. Quack.

26:54

Quack. Hey, really? Yeah.

26:57

Quack. So, um, yeah. I, we should go,

27:03

I assume maybe to the cathedral. They probably have a library. Um.

27:08

That should be great. <laugh>. Uh, can we sleep first?

27:12

You always want to sleep. Yeah,

27:15

but it's like night and it has been a long day and I've used a lot of spells and

27:18

I know that that fight didn't really take it outta me,

27:21

but the rest of the day did. And I got punched in the face. Okay. So.

27:25

Hello again? Yeah, I did in the face twice. Yeah.

27:33

First time I wasn't fast enough to cast the spell. So.

27:35

Second time. I saw it coming. Where would you like to sleep? Callum?

27:39

Right here. Yeah. I could sleep on this floor. Honestly, I'm pretty beat. Um,

27:43

but if we have places closer that doesn't involve us meat and ghosty bug bears,

27:47

that would be great as well. Uh.

27:50

They don't seem to come in here. Well.

27:53

Well, that's what I've seen. Like, if you didn't see. Fake vanilla.

27:56

Inside of this diner, that seems super hygienic. Um.

28:01

Let's cover ourselves on fake vanilla.

28:04

And who has already started. <Laugh>. I think that maybe I'm going to.

28:07

Test. I hate this so much right now. <Laugh> a deterrent. I'm going. I could be into it.

28:14

Oh, poop is. I'm just, I'm just imagining vanilla syrup on fur <laugh> and I

28:21

hate it so much. I'm going outside.

28:24

Yeah. As as you go outside, you,

28:27

you do see an impending hoard of what used to be

28:32

bug bears approaching.

28:35

Do they seem I I'll, I'll get, I'll take a couple steps out there.

28:40

Uh, they seem to have noticed you and are coming in your direct direction.

28:45

Stand back. I have fake vanilla. If you close your eyes, they can't see you.

28:49

I start sprinkling some of it on. Oh, listen, I'm standing there.

28:54

It's. Not holy waap. <Laugh>. It's Yeah. No effect.

28:59

Nope. I, I, I screw back The. Power of baking compels you.

29:02

<Laugh>. I, I screw it back in and close the door.

29:04

Well. The power of Crostini compels you.

29:10

It, um, no effect. So, um,

29:14

do you have a shower? I should have.

29:17

We have one of those deep, uh, industrial sinks that we use for cleaning.

29:25

That'll work. Wait. Let's throw some of this syrup on you.

29:29

No, I'm, I've, I've already got enough on me.

29:34

Well do, I might need some help with this. I am not bathing you, buddy. I'm no, sorry.

29:41

I decline. Okay. So, uh,

29:44

we stay here overnight rest,

29:48

and then we can go to the cathedral.

29:52

Look for some books. Yes.

29:54

Yeah, that'd be good. Sure. But why don't they come in here? Come if it's not the fake vanilla,

30:01

it has to be something. I mean, do we.

30:04

Really wanna question it right now? It could be the answer to everything.

30:09

I doubt. It. As you guys say this, the door opens and a, uh,

30:14

tling walks in and he looks around and he sees the two parents

30:22

half sprawled across the kitchen floor and Tilda drooling on

30:27

herself. Does he have a big smile? No, this is not, this is not, um, okay. Just checking. Oh, Tom, um,

30:34

til Tilda drooled out and the three of you and Pooh smeared down with

30:39

random syrups and they's like, oh, oh, I'm sorry.

30:42

I thought this was Lenny's not Waffle House. Um.

30:47

Oh, blow <laugh>. Aileen's. Mom goes, oh, no, no. Come on in, come on in. Uh, we, we just, uh,

30:53

getting ready to, uh, start the dinner rush. Uh,

30:56

go ahead and take whatever seats available. We'll be right with you.

31:00

I figured Celeste, you would like that waffle, waffle house comment.

31:04

I see you <laugh>. Uh, okay. Um, after books,

31:14

what? Well, I'm hoping that the books will provide us, and by us,

31:19

I mean maybe some kind of insight as to what to do next. Um,

31:23

because I'm at a bit of a loss. Right? Because we're not quite ready to take down some big, um,

31:31

whatever kind of being Kerik is. Yeah. I'm not particularly in like,

31:35

convinced that fighting him is the right way to go about this,

31:39

but not entirely sure what the right way is. So I'd like to kind of, you know,

31:43

take some time and figure that out first. Um, so I don't know what else. I mean,

31:48

aliens parents are here so we don't have to go to hell.

31:51

We have to find in the morning. We have to find Al.

31:55

Yeah. So we can go to the books, we can use the YouTube. I can try scrying.

32:01

I can cast sending, we can find out where she's at. We can go to her after that.

32:06

I can take books with me and read on the road. Books on tape. Um, yeah.

32:11

Right about this time a ator walks through the front door and she goes,

32:15

Hey everybody, I'm just here for the number two.

32:19

I'll be over in my usual spot door closes behind them.

32:23

Happen in place. Um, are we gonna be able to sleep here? Like,

32:26

this seems I could sleep anywhere, but there's a lot of people coming in and out.

32:32

So why aren't the Bob GEs coming in here? Am I the only one fascinated by this?

32:37

No. Maybe they're not hungry. I don't know. Do you wanna go talk to them?

32:41

I think Poo tried, but. There's people here and they're like attacking people.

32:44

I'm not entirely sure. Can I, can I tell if this place has like,

32:48

some kind of magical aura or like some kind of protective spell on it?

32:53

Uh. How are you checking this? Uh, well, I'd say with a spill, but I don't know what I have

33:01

prepared. Yeah. I was, I was going to say, I would like to cast detect magic.

33:08

I don't know how helpful that'll be. Uh, the whole room lights up.

33:13

I'm telling you. Do I get a read on specific magics? Gimme a.

33:18

Second. Okay. I have to look it up real quick. Yeah. I used the spell guys. I'm big boy now.

33:26

Okay. I used my spells already.

33:29

So Heile yells from just trailing her parents we're so proud of you.

33:36

Very proud. What did you find. Out? This people's still in here. Can I, is she still here?

33:41

Callum continues to give her a side eye. If she is.

33:44

She is, but the thing about it is, uh,

33:49

she, she's like not very responsive. So.

33:53

You. You saw something? I, I, I did. Um.

33:58

I knew it. So the whole room, uh, I'm getting like conation vibes.

34:05

The whole room. Did you say constipation vibes? Uh.

34:08

The neck. By the way. Are you constipated again?

34:13

No, I'm clean. Oh, okay. Sorry. I I.

34:16

Had to, I had to switch out my, I have this apron on now.

34:20

This is all I can find. Do I have an idea of what this could be knowing that it's conation and that

34:26

these things aren't coming in? Uh. Feel free to roll Arana.

34:34

See, that's a bad thing. Um, I know about magic and I'm not great with magic.

34:41

It's a 16. Um,

34:43

you're familiar with the concept of some other

34:48

conation spells that has to do with anchoring a portal

34:55

at several different locations to a singular,

35:02

a singular ethereal hub plane plain.

35:08

Like a temple or fortress type of, not like a teleportation circle, but like.

35:13

More like magnificent mansion sort of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

35:16

Yeah. Yeah. Powells moving castle. I don't think, I don't exactly.

35:20

I think clerics have similar spells, but I don't think they have that one.

35:24

I don't know what I have. I have something that lets me do something like that.

35:27

All the same that you, you, you, that you get that kind.

35:30

We're in a safe space. Yeah.

35:33

I see. So is this, do I get the feeling that we are in,

35:36

in another plainly space here? Whether this is something that's tethered to it.

35:40

It would, it would be like you're in a pocket dimension.

35:44

I see. Interesting. Alright. Well, I, you know, I,

35:51

I don't know if this applies to all, you know, like tiny pockets of space in different planes. Um,

35:57

but I believe we're probably in one currently. Uh,

36:00

whether or not they can't enter any of them is a question that I love to explore

36:04

more and learn about.

36:08

Uh, to which, to which alien's mom goes, oh yeah. That, that,

36:11

that technically there is only one Lenny's at many

36:16

locations, if that makes sense. Oh, so you're all the same. That.

36:20

It's all the, that's the reason why the, that's the reason why the food seems so consistent.

36:26

Well, you know, I've never been in a Lenny's, but that seems to make sense.

36:30

I expected. It to be busier though. I mean, but with everything going on, huh?

36:35

I go up, I go up to the Mita in the corner wearing my apron that I now have on.

36:41

<Laugh>. Excuse me, sir. Um, you said the usual, correct? Yeah.

36:48

I need, uh, uh, it's, it's, it's gonna be a stack of, uh,

36:54

16 pancakes slathered with peanut butter and honey.

36:57

Yes, for sure. And, um, now, where, where, where are you from this evening?

37:02

Just a small talk. Why don't we wait? I'm.

37:06

I'm from here. Uh, and here being.

37:12

This town. And this town being <laugh>.

37:18

Uh, at, at this, at this moment, Aileen's mom comes and kind of grabs you by the shoulders and starts to kind of

37:24

direct you away from the customers. Oh, he, he's new. Just,

37:29

just don't mind him. Uh, she starts scooting him away. She goes, look,

37:34

you, I just let you in on a very

37:38

tightly held corporate secret.

37:41

Right, right. Uh, the customers are not aware of our temporal positioning.

37:47

Uh, we prefer to keep it that way. So Right. <inaudible> on the occasion lay,

37:52

um. Yeah, but also the world is ending and I'm trying to stop it. So, uh, yeah. Hi.

37:57

I think that this is a valid point of. Talking back. Hi. It's me, Callum. Hi, Callum. Yeah. Hi,

38:04

P uh, so quick question about that.

38:07

How do people that come in always go out at the same spot? Yes.

38:10

Can they go out to different spots? Can we like, leave and go to a different area? Locale,

38:17

so to speak? Um, here, let me, let me show you.

38:21

Oh, do please. Why do I feel like you're about to like, touch my forehead and I'm about to have a vision?

38:26

No, it's, it, it's, it's, it's not like that. Uh, here, uh,

38:30

she takes you behind the counter. She pours some water into a pan,

38:35

and then she sprinkles some corn, uh, some corn starch over the top of it.

38:39

She goes, give me your. She makes me cornbread. <laugh>. She goes, uh, gimme your hand.

38:43

There you go. She takes your hand and she dips it into, through the corn. Are.

38:48

You frying my hand? She dip. She, she dips it in through the corn. Starch into the water.

38:53

Uhhuh. <Affirmative>. And then she pulls your hand out and your hand's completely dry.

38:58

It's still missing two fingers. I haven't found them yet.

39:01

<Laugh>. Not really what I was trying to do there, but.

39:06

Uh, okay. So that I really, hang on, hang on. I realized that you were like on,

39:10

okay. Yeah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Okay. So when you stuck your hand in Yeah,

39:13

it came out in the same state that it went in Uhhuh <affirmative>. That's,

39:16

that's sort of the rules for this temporal plane.

39:19

It's like you get coated with a film of your own plane as

39:24

you come in. And then by leaving.

39:27

Like the vanilla like poo did with the vanilla.

39:30

I, okay, but I have some more questions now. One,

39:33

how did you do that with the corn starch and the water?

39:36

Because that was amazing. Two,

39:40

can I coat myself with something else now that I'm inside and go out somewhere

39:45

else? The vanilla doesn't work. I. I, I don't know. I didn't, we didn't set up the spell.

39:50

Lenny's has been around for a long.

39:52

Time. Well, here, I feel like because you are new to this and I would say very new.

39:58

'cause up until recently you weren't running on Lenny's.

40:00

You were running a bakery and you weren't We were a Lenny's employee. Yes.

40:04

You know this, you'll remember this now. No, they don't.

40:07

I would just say that perhaps upholding corporate values over the world and

40:13

personal investment is perhaps, perhaps a capitalistic ideal that you should let go of.

40:17

And we should go talk to that mentor, find out where she came from,

40:20

see what's happening. But what, I don't know, where did.

40:23

You find out about what lineage is, is?

40:27

Um, it's, it's part of, it's part of the new hire orientation.

40:31

Do you have a copy of that that. Was given to you by.

40:35

Lenny? There's actually a Lenny.

40:38

Can you call Lenny? Yeah. He's, he's some kind of ancient krono answer.

40:45

I don't know. He's he's, he's not a very kind person.

40:48

Good. We're good with kind, not kind people. Um,

40:52

do you have his number? Uh, a way to contact him?

40:56

I don't think I can just summon whoever I feel like.

41:00

I have. I need summon people. You can,

41:03

he can shoot poo. Are you right? It's been a while.

41:07

Okay. So here's the thing. Callum hair has gotten a longer poo that doesn't meet Callum girl.

41:14

Right. Um, I don't have long hair. I cut. It's short. What?

41:17

No, it's gotten longer than it was. I guess that's true. Yeah. What.

41:21

Time? And all that. Time does do that. It does do that. I haven't had time to get a haircut.

41:25

We've been a little busy saving the world. Can I go talk to that au now because I happen to really like au

41:34

It's true. He does got it growling.

41:37

Now he's acting like a girl. Well, I wouldn't say that, but ho.

41:43

I, I I will say this. I will turn around and start making these pancakes.

41:50

And whatever you do when I'm not looking is your business.

41:55

That is my favorite. <Laugh>. Please,

41:57

please try to be a bit covert with whatever it is that you choose to do.

42:02

Perfect. I start walking towards the Mino corporate.

42:05

Espionage. Hello?

42:11

Hello. Um, do you have my pancakes?

42:16

Oh, I don't work here. I just wanted to come say hello. Uh,

42:21

my name's Callum. I'm a bug bear. Don't look like one. I know,

42:24

but come from a Buck Bear tribe. Where do you come from?

42:31

Down the street. I'm not, so I'm new to the area.

42:36

I only just got in and I'm not gonna lie to you. I've been,

42:41

it's been a very difficult few days. You see those people back there?

42:46

I think I was kidnapped. Um, could you tell me where, where I am?

42:52

You are on Sesame Street. He, he looks in, he turns his head through. I thought.

42:59

Was she, was it not a woman? No, it was not. Oh.

43:02

Okay. That's fine. Just 'cause he had have long hair.

43:07

<Laugh>. Yes. Yes. I'm only with long hair as a woman. <laugh>.

43:11

I feel like that is a lie. Sam. Sin? No, it's it's fact.

43:16

Uh, he, he looks at you and goes, I'm from Paraba.

43:20

Do I know where that is? Uh, feel free to make a geography check.

43:27

I guess I think that's gonna major. I think that's actually gonna be intelligence.

43:32

Survival, <laugh>. Intelligence. Time travel.

43:37

Acrobatics. <Laugh>. Can I use athletics for me? <laugh>.

43:41

If you can explain to me why athletics would work. Yes. Quantum.

43:45

Physics. I can explain why survival would work. 'cause I have studied maps as a ranger.

43:51

That's not maps of the whole world.

43:55

Does it happen to be a mountain or an under dark area? <laugh>?

43:59

No. Darn.

44:02

Well that's a 10. My intelligence is zero. So 10.

44:08

Uh, if you would like to use survival, I'll tell you what the,

44:12

the survival would be a more haphazard than just general intelligence.

44:16

I'll let you roll. Survival, but it would have to be at disadvantage because of the likelihood of just

44:22

knowing this random place. Do you want me to roll again or roll twice for survival?

44:28

Roll again. Okay.

44:31

Well it was a 10 again. That's the third 10 I've rolled tonight. And my did.

44:35

Is your dice from Sage's portal? These I didn't, you know. Oh, because if I did, they'd be rolling. Twos <laugh>.

44:45

However, my survival's a nine, so that's a 19 on both. Oh.

44:49

Hey. Alright. Uh,

44:52

so you briefly remember hearing something about a town with the name Peral on

45:01

some far western continent.

45:05

Can you spell the peral for me please?

45:08

Dave, that's on you, bro. It is p a r a apostrophe capital

45:15

v a. L.

45:18

Perva. No l parva.

45:21

I see Far Western. Okay. Let me just set up a map in my mind.

45:25

I have come a distance. Um, you ever heard a tower fall?

45:30

No. Hmm. Um, second question. This might sound wild.

45:36

Have you experienced recently any kind of like wild earth changing events?

45:41

Like destructive? Um, I've been seeing a lot of things.

45:47

I mean, I ate some wicked Mexican food probably about a couple days ago.

45:54

Interesting. It's felt. Pretty destructive. That's fair. You know, I've, I've had meals like that.

45:59

This is more just about like actual like world ending

46:04

apocalyptic wild nonsense. But if there's been none of that, that's good.

46:08

I'm very happy for you. Great. Um,

46:11

I don't suggest coming east anytime soon

46:17

or further west, I suppose. Stay where you are, I think is what I'm trying to say. Yeah.

46:21

That was kind of the plan. Good. Great. Um, do you,

46:28

do you have per chance in ville any like, um,

46:35

religious and or arcane scholars? Yeah, there's a, uh, there's a temple just outside the city actually.

46:43

Could I potentially, if I offered you some gems,

46:47

get you to bring me any books you may have about

46:54

like, uh. Sir. Yeah, sir. I, i I don't know you.

46:59

I know, which is why I'm offering you money and not just other kindness in my heart.

47:02

I just want to have my breakfast. That's, you know. I understand. I'll leave you. Yep. I got,

47:09

you can have your breakfast. You can eat it. I will. If you came back to this Lenny's and brought me any books you may have about,

47:15

you know, like plainer, uh, abominations, uh,

47:20

aberrations, uh, demons that want to destroy the earth,

47:23

that maybe you're Cain and or religious scholars may have.

47:26

I will give you all of the gem that I currently possess. Yes. Who.

47:29

I'll take care of this. Here's your pancakes and here's a side of bacon.

47:38

Um, you get my drift. Sir. I am.

47:43

Two sides of bacon. I'll give you this diamond, sir.

47:47

I'm a Muslim. No bacon <laugh>. Here's an orange juice.

47:56

The look on Celeste's face right now is so, so priced.

48:02

Well, goodnight everybody. Um, it's been real. Um,

48:07

I will give you this diamond and I'll hold up my diamond.

48:10

That's worth a thousand gold. You know,

48:14

I've got so much work backlogged at my

48:19

smithing shop right now. Oh. What you, oh, you're a Smith. That's wonderful. Uh, I'd love to offer anything,

48:25

but I know nothing about smithing, so that's pretty cool. You know, if I can find a break in the day, I'll see what I can do.

48:35

All right. Sure. I'll be, I'll be here. I'll be staying here at Lenny's unless they take me away. 'cause as I said,

48:40

I've been kidnapped and I'm gonna stick with that story for an So if you could

48:44

hurry as much as possible, that'd be great. Thank you. Uh,

48:46

I'm gonna keep the diamond until you get back. Fair enough. Uh, squid, uh,

48:50

I need you to make a persuasion check.

48:56

Sure. These might be Sage's portal. Stice. I think I need a new D 20.

49:03

There you go. Uh oh, that's not bad. 14.

49:08

Okay. Tell is more persuasive than I thought. He, I'm getting a new dice out.

49:13

<Laugh>. He, uh, goes about eating his breakfast and.

49:18

Just walks away. Thank you. Have a good, thank you.

49:22

You, you have a hard time getting a read on if you're going to see him again or not.

49:28

Can I insight to see if I might understand whether or not he'll come back?

49:31

I won't try more, but I just, I'm curious.

49:34

Uh, go ahead and roll that insight check.

49:40

Yeah, seems good. It was the 12th.

49:43

Okay. Uh, he seems pretty, uh, involved with his pancakes right now.

49:48

Me too. I would love pancakes right now.

49:52

So how'd that go? You know, I think pretty good. They might be bringing me books about, you know,

49:59

everything. Um, also they're from a place far,

50:02

far to the west that I've never been to and kind of only read on maps once.

50:07

I have some bacon. Oh. Also they haven't seen anything destructive,

50:11

so at least Eric has not attacked there yet.

50:15

Hmm. Did you say Eric? You say Eric? Eric <laugh>. I mean Eric, Eric has probably been there, um,

50:22

as Sage's portal is also a pocket demand. Eric.

50:25

Is big bad. Yeah.

50:28

Oh my gosh. That's, that's it. That's the end of the show, guys. We.

50:32

Figured it out. That's why John named him that. Anyway.

50:43

Um. Okay, so they're gonna bring you books back?

50:50

Uh, yeah. I'm gonna stay here. So.

50:55

Take a nap. Um, chill. I guess. Uh, Alan's mom comes forward, comes to you and she goes, let you,

51:01

y'all, if you need to rest, you can stay in the,

51:04

you can stay in the Cook's quarters. Woo. Yeah, that sounds great. Sure. Wonderful.

51:11

I mean, it's, it's nothing spectacular, but.

51:14

No, no, no, that's fine. We just, uh, we just slept in caves, uh,

51:18

the last day, just so.

51:22

Caves are pretty nice though. So. Cool.

51:25

Not very soft. Uh, so she leads you guys to some back rooms. Uh,

51:32

she leads you guys to the back rooms and, uh, that's just a bunch of yellow,

51:39

yellow office spaces. Uh, she goes,

51:42

I wouldn't go adventuring if I were you. Um, but yeah, uh,

51:47

it is better than sleeping in a restaurant. Okay. Uh, I,

51:53

let's get to sleep so we can get an early start. Yes, please. I'm.

51:58

I'm already sleeping. I, I could tell.

52:03

Meanwhile, back in the ghetto. I went to bed.

52:07

Oh, did you, you guys, you guys didn't interact with each other at all.

52:10

It was just hot water in bed. May mares stealth fully staying up at night. And she puts M's Hand in a,

52:18

in a cup of hot water. <Laugh>. I provide her with a blanket such as it is

52:27

Thread Bear and all, um, napkin.

52:31

We only have the one room, so

52:35

find a spot, I guess. Thank you.

52:40

Or it just goes into a corner and sits <laugh> and goes to the other corner and

52:45

sits <laugh>. And we stare at each other. We both fall asleep sitting down.

52:50

Just. Um, right, right about when you start to get to that comfy,

52:53

I'm just about asleep. State. You hear a pounding at the front door.

52:59

Em. Does it sound familiar?

53:07

Well, I mean, it's a knock. So I'm, I'm.

53:09

I, I'll go answer the door. Uh, you see your grandfather standing outside the front door in oh

53:16

a half with, at State and he was kind of smacking the door with a stick.

53:21

And he. Goes, oh, you, I still alive.

53:25

And he goes, oh, thank you, adress. I've,

53:29

no one's been answering the door all day, have you?

53:33

We haven't lived here in weeks.

53:37

What. Where have you been?

53:42

Oh, you know, just out. Um,

53:46

is your dad around? No.

53:49

I was thinking about checking out that church thing. He was talking about.

53:54

You should I, it's the north of the island.

53:57

I just, uh, <laugh>. I get a feeling like great catastrophe's about to come.

54:06

Great. Catastrophe has arrived. What?

54:12

Can I help you? You think I could sleep here tonight?

54:16

No. What.

54:25

Would you like me to repeat myself, but slower.

54:31

Get off my porch. Goodnight.

54:36

Whatever you just kind of trots down the street. Close.

54:39

Close the door. Mary, you saw all of that, but.

54:48

I figured, I know you're not fond of it, but.

54:55

Fond of it. Yes.

54:59

Pardon? I'm sorry. What? You not terribly. Fond of my profession,

55:03

but didn't sound like you really wanted that one around.

55:10

Oh, believe me, if I wanted him gone like that, I would take care of it myself.

55:17

You know where to find me? Yes. In that corner.

55:22

That's correct. Yeah.

55:25

I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight.

55:29

I go back to sitting down and <laugh>. All right.

55:37

Best friends, <laugh>. People. Let tell you about my best friend. Um, all right.

55:44

So you guys get up in the morning.

55:48

Feeling like P Diddy? No,

55:53

just me. Okay. I I just didn't want to acknowledge a Kesha reference.

55:57

Okay. Right. Anyway, uh,

56:03

so y'all wake up in the morning,

56:06

unless anybody who was in the back rooms decided to go wandering around in

56:11

the back rooms. I can see the,

56:16

I can see the agent of chaos Josiah's.

56:20

How was good boy. Because that would've been bad. Um.

56:28

Actually no. I will kill your character on stream. I have zero qualms about it. Um,

56:37

so everybody wakes up, including Emerin and Mayra. What's, what's, what's y'all doing?

56:46

Uh, no. Wilder and Callum are going to look for some books. Yeah.

56:51

Okay. As Wilder and Callum come out of the back rooms, um, the, uh,

56:57

alien's moms there and. She's like, oh, we.

57:00

Just, uh, we just set the table for you guys. Why don't y'all come and have a seat.

57:05

Yes. Hello. Do we.

57:07

Do we have time for this? There's. Always time for, I mean I did.

57:10

I did tell that Mino tar that I'd stay here. I mean, I just made you a grand bla.

57:16

I'll take two please. I can al you know,

57:19

we can also use the YouTube and I can scry and send from here before we go to

57:23

the books. Okay. We'll do that. We'll do that. Um.

57:28

Because I don't, I don't think the books here are gonna go anywhere.

57:30

But if that minute talk shows up and they have books I don't have access to,

57:32

then. It's true. It's true.

57:38

Um, actually I think I also don't know that Scrying will provide anything that the

57:42

YouTube won't, because I'm pretty sure the YouTube just sccr.

57:46

But sending cross planes, uh, if I'm not

57:51

mistaken, let me check.

57:57

This is delicious, ma'am. Yes.

58:01

Oh honey, I honey I made it with some extra home style sausage for you.

58:07

It tastes like extra home. No, I, she, she just looks at you Aile and she's like,

58:15

it kind of gives you that look of like really?

58:19

She gives her a back a look of Yeah, I know.

58:22

<Laugh>. I give back a look of Yum <laugh>.

58:31

So yeah, she's spread out a table with five seats at it for you guys to

58:37

Noch. In the meantime, uh,

58:42

emerin and Mayra, you wake up and are you gonna have another delicious hot water for breakfast?

58:53

Hold on. I'm preparing spells 'cause I forgot I have to do that as a cleric. So.

58:58

One moment. Mary's been up for a while 'cause she only has to sleep for like.

59:06

Four hours. Four hours. ELs.

59:11

Just hanging out. Sharpening blades.

59:15

Being quiet. It's converting. Whoa.

59:23

Uh, yeah. Cool. All right. Well, hi. Hey. Callum's not here.

59:28

It's me. <laugh>. He good morning. <laugh>.

59:35

Good morning. Or did they switch places?

59:42

We are now each other. <Laugh>. That's tempting if I'm not gonna do that. But I wish I would gonna.

59:49

Be for a Patriot exclusive episode. <laugh>.

59:52

<Laugh>. Uh, so what, what is Mayra in Emerin doing in the morning? 'cause.

1:00:05

Um, I don't plan on staying here, so I don't know what you're planning on doing,

1:00:08

but congratulations. You can have this house if you'd like.

1:00:15

I just followed you. Do you have something else you would like to be doing?

1:00:23

No. Do you have something else you want to do?

1:00:31

Need which don't usually to do. Do anything.

1:00:36

You just don't own desire. You. Don't do my own desire. Don't. At all ever <laugh>.

1:00:41

I have jobs, but. I also have a job. But like, you can also do things.

1:00:47

I know I'm not the best example of doing things that I wanna do and not want

1:00:50

other people wanna do, but like, there's not a lot of people telling us what to do anymore. So.

1:01:00

I hadn't thought about that. Yeah. But I do have one job that I intend to carry it out.

1:01:09

Which is. I'm not sure I'm supposed to tell you.

1:01:16

I'm not sure. You were supposed to kill my siblings. So.

1:01:20

I was, I was definitely hired for. That.

1:01:23

There's. No question hired and supposed to are two very different things.

1:01:30

I would argue that it was probably more profitable not to.

1:01:35

I wouldn't have known. Hmm. Well hindsight as they say.

1:01:43

And your current, I mean, if you don't wanna tell me your current job, fine then

1:01:48

I dunno. Well, I, out of respect for your sister,

1:01:55

I'm not sure if she wanted me to tell you, but I will.

1:01:58

For rda. For rda.

1:02:01

You're doing a job for rda. Of course I'd do anything for rda.

1:02:07

I would also do anything for Rhoda. And then we agree.

1:02:11

So what is the job? I'm making sure you don't die.

1:02:17

You are making sure I don't die. Correct.

1:02:24

<Laugh>, that's, I'm sorry. You are making sure that I don't die.

1:02:28

That's my only job. I'm very sorry that you have been tasked with this.

1:02:38

Um hmm. Interesting.

1:02:43

Hmm. I see.

1:02:49

Where you go. I go. I don't think I like that. I don't think I'm the biggest fan of that. Um,

1:02:57

I also don't think that I need to be kept alive as I'm pretty good at keeping

1:03:00

myself alive as I have for this whole time. Um,

1:03:05

most of the time, except for that one time. It.

1:03:11

Was just once. Okay. Um, she didn't know.

1:03:14

She's. People died. I ultimately died a little. I mean, come on.

1:03:19

To be fair, Rhoda doesn't know that I died that one time. So.

1:03:25

Then I won't tell her. That's good. I appreciate that. Um, right.

1:03:31

So you're just gonna follow me around. Would it be better if I turned invisible? Would that make you feel any better?

1:03:38

No. Okay. I'm, I'm new to this bodyguard thing.

1:03:41

Usually I'm taking out the bodyguards. I'm normally the bodyguard.

1:03:47

<Laugh>. Well, and we could learn together. I don't, I don't mean this to come off the way that I know it's going to,

1:03:54

but I don't want to learn that. So

1:03:59

maybe we can figure something else out that would make Rhoda happy,

1:04:03

which is me promising that I won't die and you leaving me alone.

1:04:06

Is that an option? That would be up to Rhoda.

1:04:12

Rhoda's a child that should not be making decisions.

1:04:16

She's also my employer at the moment. With.

1:04:20

What money? What money? What? What is she offering you? There's no.

1:04:24

Money. So then she's not your employer, she's just pleading your case.

1:04:31

She's my only friend. Oh. Oh. Well that, okay. Well

1:04:41

are you okay? Are you good?

1:04:47

Asking. That before. Before it was at that moment that that Emin's mom tendencies just popped out's.

1:04:52

Like, I need to fix you suddenly <laugh>.

1:04:56

I'm sorry. You only have one friend and it's a child. <laugh>.

1:05:00

This. Is an issue. And, and apparently Aileen's not a friend.

1:05:06

Well, apparently not. You weren't thought of in that moment. You're.

1:05:10

A trusted person.

1:05:13

I'm an adult. I'm a trusted adult. <laugh>.

1:05:16

Yeah. Mary's like children only. Sorry, I don't know what to tell you.

1:05:22

Now. I don't think Aile hugged Bera.

1:05:26

No. What? Aileen was too scared to hug Mera. I.

1:05:30

See. Rhoda wasn't, we're getting there.

1:05:35

Don't worry. We're just not there yet.

1:05:39

I'm sorry that I have not asked this sooner. What's your name?

1:05:46

It's Mera. Right?

1:05:49

I may have asked this sooner and I don't recall because at the time there was a

1:05:53

blinding rage in my body that wanted to end your life. Um,

1:05:59

Mera. Hi. I'm Emin.

1:06:04

I won't say it's nice to meet you, but meet you I guess would be the way that phrase would go without

1:06:11

the nice two part. Um, we have met now let me just state that.

1:06:19

This Hello <inaudible>. As a thing. Um, okay.

1:06:24

So from what I've understood so far about you as a person is that you are not

1:06:28

from Tower Fall. You don't know where you're from. You've been to a lot of places. You've been TowerFall the longest.

1:06:34

Your best friend is my baby sister, who up until very recently,

1:06:38

had very questionable motives about their own life. Um,

1:06:44

and you've been doing crimes for hire for as long as you can remember.

1:06:49

Am I, is this sounding accurate?

1:06:53

Yeah. You've now know more about me than anybody but myself.

1:07:02

Hmm. It may be the person who originally found me,

1:07:05

but I'm not sure how much they know. I see. Okay. Um.

1:07:15

Did you have any other questions or were we going to.

1:07:19

Um, many, I had many questions.

1:07:22

I have multiple questions that I would like to ask in this moment,

1:07:25

but first I would just, I, I am not the best at expressing emotions. Um,

1:07:36

it is not a thing that I do. Um,

1:07:41

generally speaking, what I do is I take them and I shove them deep down inside 'cause they don't

1:07:47

serve me at all. Right. Okay.

1:07:53

So now that I am faced with this,

1:07:56

let me just say that I am angry.

1:08:01

That's, that's what I would like to say. I would like to say that I am angry right now, um,

1:08:08

at you a little bit, but mostly a lot of other things.

1:08:12

The you part is coming from the fact that you're making it very hard for me to

1:08:16

want to continue to kill you. And that's kind of all that I currently have in the moment because everything

1:08:22

else has kind of been taken from me. So, um,

1:08:28

I'm gonna go back towards the castle. Do you want to come with me?

1:08:32

<Laugh>? Yes. I will be coming with you

1:08:38

until we come into an agreement with Rhoda about.

1:08:43

We will not be doing this. Rhoda's not gonna make, we'll be following you.

1:08:47

Rhoda's not making the decisions. We Okay? Come on. Whatever. Let's go.

1:08:52

Okay. All right. So you guys are heading towards witch Castle.

1:08:59

<Laugh>. Wherever the people, I don't know now be where.

1:09:04

The people are. Where, where? No, it's Witch Mountain. Where.

1:09:08

Was the, is the other castle still standing? Neither.

1:09:11

Of the castles are standing. Great. Then she's moving back to where the refugees are.

1:09:17

She's going to wherever she can go. <laugh>.

1:09:19

Oh, shouldn't we go back to Lenny's? They're sitting.

1:09:22

Castles. No. Why do we go back to Lenny's? Why do we anybody else.

1:09:25

Is there? No, not everybody else is there. Everyone else is underground.

1:09:30

Four people are there and they are not for people that I wanna talk to at the

1:09:34

moment because they are people that have brought the apocalypse with them and

1:09:38

continue to make decisions that make me wanna pull out all of the hair that is

1:09:40

on my body. So, oh, okay.

1:09:44

We're gonna go where the people of Tower fall are and we're going to help take

1:09:48

care of them because currently they have no leadership and no

1:09:53

monarchy, which is a good thing. The monarchy was bad.

1:09:56

We don't want that anymore. We're gonna set up a new government.

1:09:58

But they currently don't have that. And they have drought and they have a destroyed city and they have nothing.

1:10:03

And my sister's there and my mother's stupid. And I have you following me now,

1:10:08

so we're gonna go Okay. And my mother's stupid <laugh>. Awesome. <laugh>.

1:10:14

Okay. But, but, um, emerin. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>,

1:10:17

I feel like I should tell you that I literally have no other skills.

1:10:22

Then killing people. I know that, that sounds ridiculous, but that's.

1:10:27

No, that's fine. I mean, I, yeah, so I'm gonna level with you right now.

1:10:32

I also don't have any other skills, so.

1:10:36

Okay. Alright. So I don't, I don't know how I'm gonna be helpful,

1:10:41

but I, I'll come. I also don't know how I'm going to be helpful yet 'cause most of my problems are

1:10:46

solved with the gla so I dunno. Let's go find out, I guess.

1:10:53

Sure. Cool. All right, well

1:10:58

I'll get us some hot water for the road. <Laugh>.

1:11:02

Some more. Delicious, delicious hot water.

1:11:10

You have been listening to the Playing Games With Strangers podcast,

1:11:14

with the voices of John Har you, Katherine Sir Winky,

1:11:19

Dave Clements, JS Earls, Celeste Mora,

1:11:23

Josiah Crandall, Eric Campo, and Steve McDonald.

1:11:28

The theme music was written and performed by Steve Arthur,

1:11:32

used with permission. Find more of his music on Facebook or wherever you purchase music digitally.

1:11:38

Please review this podcast wherever you downloaded from to help other podcasters

1:11:43

find our podcast and join our community. And once again,

1:11:46

thank you for listening. A massive thanks to our blade level patrons, Julie Earls, Aaron Peckham,

1:12:00

Josh Clements, Branson Boykin, Debbie Roth, Matthew Cosby,

1:12:04

random Encounters and Indubitably.

1:12:07

Learn more and see how you can support the show by going to

1:12:11

patreon.com/playing games with strangers.